Sabrina Ionescu Sees 'Blessing' Injury Absence Will Bring Caitlin Clark

While there's a lot of excitement about the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game on July 19 (and about the skills competition and three-point contest on July 18), the fact that Indiana Fever star guard Caitlin Clark isn't able to participate in any of the events because of a groin injury she suffered during a game earlier this week is a brutal blow for not only her, but for all of women's basketball.

The fact that All-Star weekend is taking place on the Fever's home court, where Clark was supposed to be front and center, only adds to the frustration about her being sidelined.

New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu has shown Clark a lot of love in the past, as the two have a ton of mutual respect. And Ionescu made a poignant comment about what Clark is currently going through when asked about her during a July 18 All-Star media scrum.

"Obviously, we're good friends. I've been able to talk to her a lot through this process. And honestly, I kind of went through something similar in my career," Ionescu said of Clark, per an X post from Robin Lundberg of Women's Fastbreak on SI.

"My first year, I didn't play due to injury, and then second year, I had three to four soft tissue injuries that I was dealing with. You look back, and it's a blessing in disguise because you're able to just learn and grow, and understand it's all part of your journey. And you've got to just continue to figure out what you need in a pro career," Ionescu added.

"So just trying to be that sound board for her, and that voice, having gone through something kind of similar. Knowing, obviously, that it's really unfortunate that we don't have her, but she means a lot more to the game than just showing up and playing. And I think you're able to see that with just the excitement in Indy right now, regardless of whether she's playing or not," she concluded.